Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 April 19, 2016 Box Score
GREEN BAY, Wis. - The UIC softball team (27-13, 13-3 HL) opened its series at Green Bay (14-24, 5-5 HL) with a doubleheader split Tuesday afternoon at the Phoenix Softball Field. The Phoenix pulled together a late rally to take game one, 9-8, before the Flames posted a 10-4 victory in game two.
"We didn't do a good job of taking care of the ball in game on," said head coach Michelle Venturella. "We made uncharacteristic mistakes that cost us in the end. Game two was much better with a solid performance from Karissa (Frazier) on the mound, and again our hitting kept constant pressure on their defense."
UIC put up back-to-back 15-hit outings for a combined 30 on the day. Freshman Skylee James collected a team-high six hits in her eight at-bats, followed by senior Laura Swan with five as she extended her hit streak to a career-high 15 games. Swan also boasted six RBI, followed by James and sophomore Tiana Mack-Miller with three apiece.
GREEN BAY 9, UIC 8 - Game One
UIC jumped out to an 8-2 lead but could not hang on as Green Bay scored seven runs in the final two innings. The Flames put runners on in all but one frame as they outhit the Phoenix, 15-10. Mack-Miller and James led the six players who had multi-hit games with three hits and two RBI apiece, as Swan also posted two RBI with two hits.
Junior Elaine Heflin earned the start and threw five innings before redshirt-junior Alice Fitzpatrick entered and tossed the sixth frame, with Heflin returning in the seventh. Heflin took the loss, just her sixth of the season, as she allowed seven hits, struck out four and walked four. Fitzpatrick was responsible for two walks and three hits.
For the fourth-consecutive game, UIC put one run up in the first inning. Senior LaRi Mitchell led off with a single down the left-field line and moved all the way to third on a routine groundout before she scored on a single to right by Swan.
Three more runs scored for the Flames in the second as they quickly put two on with a walk for junior Savannah Soppet and single for sophomore Taylor Cairns, which set up freshman Lexi Watts to single into center with Soppet scoring on the play as Green Bay committed an error. With two outs, Mack-Miller singled into right to score two for the 4-0 lead.
After leaving a total of five runners on base in the first three innings, the Phoenix loaded the bases in the fourth off a fielder's choice, UIC error and walk before coming up with a two-RBI single to center. They would loaded the bases again but left all runners on.
UIC brought another run across the plate in the fifth as Mack-Miller led off with her third single of the game and came all the way in to score on James' sixth double of the season.
In the sixth, the Flames turned out another three-run frame. With Mitchell at first after reaching on a fielder's choice, she stole her second base of the game and rounded to score as Watts singled into left and Green Bay committed an error. With Watts at third after the play, Swan singled into right to plate Watts and then came in to score on James' second double, marking her first-career multi-double game.
Green Bay rallied in the final two innings to score seven runs and take the eventual win. With the bases loaded in the sixth, the Phoenix doubled down the left-field line to score all three runners. In the seventh, they hit a leadoff double and then three-consecutive singles that scored one and loaded the bases. A UIC error and fielder's choice at the plate would score the next two runs, with the game-winning run coming in on a hit by pitch.
UIC 10, GREEN BAY 4 - Game Two
UIC scored in double figures for just the fourth time this season as it tallied nine of its runs in the fifth and sixth frames. Every player contributed to the Flames' 15 hits, led by Swan and James with three hits each as Swan added four of the nine total RBI.
Redshirt-freshman Karissa Frazier drew her 12th start of the season as she pitched her second complete game on her way to her sixth victory. She matched her career high with seven strikeouts as she walked three and allowed eight hits.
Watts used her speed to put UIC on the board for the 1-0 lead in the third as she singled with two outs, stole second, then third and scored as Green Bay committed an error on the play.
The Flames put together their best collective effort in the fifth to score six runs. Soppet led off with a single to right and the bases quickly loaded on back-to-back bunt singles by Mitchell and Watts. Swan then stepped to the plate and sent her 11th double of the season into left center to clear the bases. After Mack-Miller walked to put runners at the corners, James singled into left to score Swan. Following a fielder's choice, senior Dana Capocci sent her second triple of the season to center to bring in the final two runs.
Green Bay came out to put two runs on the board in the bottom half of the fifth as a RBI triple scored one and a groundout scored the second run.
Another three runs scored for UIC in the sixth all with two outs, increasing its lead to 10-2. Cairns led off with a walk, stole second and made her way to third on a wild pitch before she scored on Swan's second double of the game, marking her fourth-career multi-double game. Mack-Miller, James and junior Kaleigh Nagle then all hit consecutive singles, with Mack-Miller and Nagle picking up the RBI.
In the bottom of the sixth, a leadoff single for the Phoenix set up Brennan Engel with a two-run home run, taking away the Flames' chance to end the game in six. They would threaten in the bottom of the seventh after hitting two singles, but the runners were left on base.
The Flames return to the Phoenix Softball Field on Wednesday to close out the series with a single game at noon CT.
